Replacement blade package



2 Sheets-Sheet 1 A. P. WILKENS REPLACEMENT BLADE PACKAGE April 21, 1964 Filed Aug. 21, 1961 INVENTOR. fluausr I? Ma e/vs Array/v6) ISc April 21, 1964 A. P. \VNILKENS 3,129,810

REPLACEMENT BLADE PACKAGE Filed Aug. 21, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. 1406057 I? MLKEIYS United States Patent 3,129,810 REPLACEMENT BLADE PACKAGE August P. Wilirens, Leonia, N.J., assignor to Evans Rule (10., Elizabeth, N ..l., a corporation of New Jersey Filed Aug. 21, 1961, Ser. No. 132,776 3 Claims. (Cl. 206-46) This invention relates to a replacement blade package for a coiled type measuring tape. Those skilled in the art are well aware of the fact that the measuring blades of coiled tapes are subject to considerable wear, and that for this reason, the tape blades are formed so that they may be readily released from the spring to which they are secured within the measuring tape casing. Thus, by pulling the measuring tape blade outwardly of the tape casing, its connection with the spring of the tape becomes exposed. The connection is such that by manipulation of the blade relatively to the spring the blade may be disconnected from the spring. Thereafter, a new blade may be manipulated relatively to the spring so as to be joined thereto, after which the new blade may be entered into the casing for use in a conventional manner, as those skilled in the art appreciate.

I have conceived a package for the replacement blade of a measuring tape of the class described, whereby the replacement tape blade may be packaged with facility and readily made available for replacement in a convenient manner. Further, I have conceived a replacement blade package that may be manufactured very inexpensively of simple paper cardboard material, and yet have that strength that is necessary to hold the replacement blade in a package both while it is being exhibited in a store, and during the actual replacing of the blade into the tape casing.

As a feature of my invention, I form the replacement package in the form of a paper cardboard box with an opening for a winding spindle through which the replacement tape blade is readily wound into the box. As a further feature of the invention, one end of the wound blade is maintained in position for ready access by a slide formed of paper and shaped as a loop for sliding relatively to the box. This loop has the double function of reinforcing the paper cardboard box so as to withstand the pressures exerted by the wound replacement blade, and to hold in accessible position the one end of the tape blade that is to be joined to the spring within the tape casing.

As a further particular feature of the invention, the replacement box is adapted to have flaps for closing its ends through folding, thereby saving the cost that would be required to seal or glue the ends. It is the function of the loop to reinforce the box and to hold the flaps in closed relation, while at the same time preferably holding accessible one end of the tape blade for joining that end with the spring of the tape.

I have thus outlined rather broadly the more important features of my invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that my contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional features of my invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject of the claims appended hereto. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception on which my disclosure is based may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures for carrying out the several purposes of my invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as includ ing such equivalent constructions as do not depart from the spirit and scope of my invention, in order to prevent the appropriation of my invention by those skilled in the art.

Referring now to the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the replacement blade package of my invention with the loop of the package holding one end of the tape blade in position;

FIG. 2 shows the package of FIG. 1 with the loop moved upwardly to release one end of the tape blade;

FIG. 3 shows the paper cardboard in flat form prior to its assembly to form the replacement blade package;

FIG. 4 shows the loop in fiat form prior to its assembly;

FIG. 5 shows a Winding spindle inserted into the opening of the box forming my replacement package for winding within the box the tape blade;

FIG. 6 shows the blade fully wound into the box and the loop moved downwardly to hold one end of the blade in an accessible position, while simultaneously reinforcing the box and holding in closed position the flaps of the box;

FIG. 7 is a vertical section of FIG. 5; and

FIG. 8 shows the casing of a tape of the class described with its spring in an outward position and assembled to one end of the replacement tape blade for pulling that blade outwardly of the replacement package into the tape casing.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, reference numeral 10 indicates, in FIG. 3, the cardboard of the box of my replacement package in fiat form. Portions 11 and 12 form the end flaps of the box, part of the flap 11 being cut away at 13 for a purpose to be indicated presently. In forming the box, its part 14 is glued to the part 15 with the openings 14a and 15a of the parts 14 and 15 in alignment. This forms a display tab on which advertising material may be printed, the aligned openings 14a and 15a naturally permitting the package to be hung from a display hook or the like.

The box that results when the flat paper 10 is folded along the several dot and dash lines illustrated in FIG. 3, is well shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 5 and 7. The box will have a forward opening 16 and preferably also a rear circular opening 17. The portions 18, 19 and 20 will coact with the two flaps 11 and 12 to form a substantially square box with the side ends of the box, as viewed in FIGS. 1 and 2, closed by flaps 11 and 12. A loop 21 is formed of the fiat material, illustrated in FIG. 4, suitably folded and glued, and of a dimension to slide relatively to the box, as is well illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2, 5, 6 and 7.

Referring now to FIG. 5, I show there in section the box of FIGS. 1 and 2, with the loop 21 in a raised position exposing the two circular openings 16 and 17. Through the insertion of a slotted spindle 25 into the box, shown in FIG. 7 as well as FIG. 5, it is possible to wind into the replacement package a replacement tape blade B. Thus, one end of the blade B designated by B is inserted into the slot 26 of the spindle 25, this end of the blade being the end that carries the standard sliding finger piece designated by the letter F, as best illustrated in FIG. 8. The replacement blade preferably enters the box of my package through the cut away portion 13 of the flap 11, although it is possible actually to maintain the flap 11 open until after the end B of the blade B is inserted into the box and applied to the slot 26 of slotted spindle 25.

In any event, rotation of the slotted spindle obviously winds the tape blade B into the casing, as is well illustrated in FIGS. 2, 6 and 8. Now, the spindle 25 may be withdrawn, and the end 30 of the tape best seen in FIG. 2, may be folded upwardly from its position in FIG. 2 to its position of FIG. 6. Thereafter, by sliding the loop 21 downwardly into the position of FIG. 6, the end 30 of the blade B will be held securely against the flap 11 of the replacement box package. Further, it will be appreciated that the end 30 of the blade B, through pressure on the loop 21, will hold the loop against sliding movement rela tively to the box. It is, of course, obvious that the loop 21 will reinforce the paper box against the outward pressures exerted by the wound blade B and will also particularly hold in position flaps 11 and 12, it being apparent d that the pressure of the wound blade will tend to move the flaps outwardly so as to release the blade. The loop 21 obviously makes possible the use of flaps and a relatively thin box material.

When it is desired to use the replacement package to replace a tape blade, the procedure shown best in FIG. 8 will be followed. There, the tape casing T of a standard tape is placed near the replacement package of my invention, once its tape blade has been removed and its spring exposed. The loop 21 of the replacement package is now moved upwardly to the position in FIG. 8 to release the end 30 of the blade B. Once the end 30 of the blade B has been so released, the loop may be maintained in box reinforcing position, and preferably should be moved downwardly until its lower line 21a lies in the phantom line position shown in FIG. 8. Now, the end of the spring S of the standard tape T, designated particularly by reference numeral 35, is moved into the opening 36 of the end 38 of the replacement blade B. This end 35 is in the form of a T as is usual in the art, it being here emphasized that the actual combination of the replacement blade B and the spring S is old and well known. Now, by allowing the spring S to re-enter the tape casing T, the blade B moves also into the tape casing T out of the replacement blade package. Thereafter, the replacement blade package is merely discarded. It will now be readily understood by those skilled in the art that I have provided a replacement blade package that is inexpensive and convenient, and which holds securely a replacement blade both during the display of the blade and during the movement of the blade into a tape casing, while also facilitating the original packaging of the tape blade.

I now claim:

1. A replacement tape package comprising a paper box, a coiled spring metal tape blade in said box, said box having opposed open ends closed by integral folded flaps defining end walls, front and rear integral sides with at least one of said sides having an opening through which is insertable a tape coiling spindle for coiling said spring metal tape blade within the box, said coiled spring metal tape blade Within said box pressing forcefully against said flaps to push said flaps outwardly with an end of the tape blade positioned outwardly of the box through an aperture just at the lower edge of one of the flaps, and a relatively wide loop slidably fitted about the box in contact with said opposed flaps and said front and rear sides for closing said opening and holding said flaps in box closing position against the pressure of said tape and simultaneously maintaining said end of the tape folded against the outer face of one of the flaps in opposition to the flexing pressure exerted by said folded end, said spring metal tape end in turn holding said loop yieldingly against sliding relatively to said box.

2. A replacement tape package comprising a paper box, a coiled spring metal tape blade in said box, said box having opposed end Walls of which at least one is open and is maintained closed by an integral folded flap defining said end wall, front and rear integral sides with at least one of said sides having an opening through which is insertable a tape coiling spindle for coiling said spring metal tape blade within the box, said coiled spring metal tape blade within said box pressing forcefully against said flap to push said flap outwardly with an end of the tape blade positioned outwardly of the box through an aperture which is at the lower edge of one of said end walls, and a relatively wide loop slideably fitted about the box in contact with said opposed end walls and said front and rear sides for closing said opening and holding said flap in box closing position against the pressure of said tape and simultaneously maintaining said end of the tape folded against the outer face of one of said end walls in opposition to the flexing pressure exerted by said folded end, said spring metal tape end in turn holding said loop yieldingly against sliding relatively to said box.

3. A replacement tape package comprising a paper box, a coiled spring metal tape blade in said box, said box having opposed end walls of which at least one is open and is maintained closed by an integral folded flap defining said end wall, said coiled spring metal tape blade within said box pressing forcefully against said flap to push said flap outwardly with an end of the tape blade positioned outwardly of the box through an aperture which is at the lower edge of one of said end walls, and a relatively wide loop slideably fitted about the box in contact with said opposed end walls for reinforcing said box and holding said flap in box closing position against the pressure of said tape and simultaneously maintaining said end of the tape folded against the outer face of one of said end walls in opposition to the flexing pressure exerted by said folded end, said spring metal tape end in turn holding said loop yieldingly against sliding relatively to said box.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,154,212 Schloss Sept. 21, 1915 1,848,859 Wishart Mar. 8, 1932 1,906,055 Goldsmith Apr. 25, 1933 1,973,061 Goldsmith Sept. 11, 1934 2,264,451 Osborne Dec. 2, 1941 2,890,821 Becker June 16, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 82,419 Switzerland Oct. 1, 1919 

1. A REPLACEMENT TAPE PACKAGE COMPRISING A PAPER BOX, A COIL SPRING METAL TAPE BLADE IN SAID BOX, SAID BOX HAVING OPPOSED OPEN ENDS CLOSED BY INTEGRAL FOLDED FLAPS DEFINING END WALLS, FRONT AND REAR INTEGRAL SIDES WITH AT LEAST ONE OF SAID SIDES HAVING AN OPENING THROUGH WHICH IS INSERTABLE A TAPE COILING SPINDLE FOR COILING SAID SPRING METAL TAPE BLADE WITHIN THE BOX, SAID COILED SPRING METAL TAPE BLADE WITHIN SAID BOX PRESSING FORCEFULLY AGAINST SAID FLAPS TO PUSH SAID FLAPS OUTWARDLY WITH AN END OF THE TAPE BLADE POSITIONED OUTWARDLY OF THE BOX THROUGH AN APERTURE JUST AT THE LOWER EDGE OF ONE OF THE FLAPS, AND A RELATIVELY WIDE LOOP SLIDABLY FITTED ABOUT THE BOX IN CONTACT WITH SAID OPPOSED FLAPS AND SAID FRONT AND REAR SIDES FOR CLOSING SAID OPENING AND HOLDING SAID FLAPS IN BOX CLOSING POSITION AGAINST THE PRESSURE OF SAID TAPE AND SIMULTANEOUSLY MAINTAINING SAID END OF THE TAPE FOLDED AGAINST THE OUTER FACE OF ONE OF THE FLAPS IN OPPOSITION TO THE FLEXING PRESSURE EXERTED BY SAID FOLDED END, SAID SPRING METAL TAPE END IN TURN HOLDING SAID LOOP YIELDINGLY AGAINST SLIDING RELATIVELY TO SAID BOX. 